In the 1860s, during the reign of Queen Victoria, Queenstown became the transit centre of a major goldrush. As today, the many people who lived here needed milk. Cows were kept in paddocks near where the old Queenstown school stands and each day they were herded and brought down 'Cow Lane' to be milked to provide milk for the hotels and others in Beach Street. For a time it was jokingly known as 'Bledisloe Lane' after the 'chauffeur' for Lord Bledisloe (then Governor General), took a wrong turn out of Camp Street. But obviously an older tradition has prevailed and we are proud of our historic 'Cow Lane'.